WHEN IN ROME
RYAN: We just attended the screening of When in Rome, the new Josh Duhamel/ Kristen Bell romantic comedy that although not completely cliché, is just over-the-top ridiculous.
CAROLINE: Not cliché? It’s the most ridiculously cliché movie I’ve ever seen, with every formulaic moment possible from a romantic comedy, but then with a strange, slapstick twist. It was awful.
RYAN: Actually, it’s original in premise and the magic and setting. But what really chapped my hide was that Kristen plays a young gal who’s giving speeches about how she’s all for love and it hasn’t happened so she’s giving up. You know what, honey? Talk to Carrie Bradshaw and get back to me.
CAROLINE: Also she’s that age and a curator at the Guggenheim? So ridiculous and unbelievable. I know we have to take a leap in movies but this one required so many leaps that I don’t even know what happened.
RYAN: I prefer suspending my disbelief for films of the sci-fi and fantasy persuasion. This movie requires a new genre – fantasy rom com. There’s a lot of magic and spell casting going on here.
CAROLINE: This must be targeted for much younger girls than we. I knew going in it wouldn’t be mature or that great, but I did think the trailer was kind of cute. Turns out it was absurdly bad, contrived and preposterous. I couldn’t get into it for even a minute. Except for all the gorgeous shots of Rome. That was the only good part.
RYAN: I never watched Kristen Bell on TV’s Veronica Mars. I’m not a K. Bell fan. I’d have rather seen this with a Rachel McAdams or Amy Adams.
CAROLINE: Or any Adams. But neither of them would stoop to this level. I was actually embarrassed for all the actors.
RYAN: I thought the supporting cast was great though. I loved Anjelica Huston.
CAROLINE: She does her best “Meryl Streep in Devil Wears Prada” impression. I felt like the lead actors, albeit hardly A-list, were still better than this movie. With supporting actors like Dax Shepard… puh-leez.
RYAN: Also Danny DeVito, Jon Heder and Will Arnett, whose bronzer made me wanna slather on sunscreen. Oh, and the girl who plays Kristen’s sister is soooo skinny. I know it’s Hollywood, but she’s crossing a line here. Duck lips, Botox, so über skinny… she’s like Heidi Montag’s soul sistah.
CAROLINE: Why she’s had so much plastic surgery at age 25, I’ll never know.
RYAN: Anyone in your twenties who’s Botoxing, cut it out!
— BOTTOM LINE —
CAROLINE: This movie is a travesty. And the dance sequence at the end credits was such an embarrassing ripoff of The 40 Year Old Virgin, I had to look away.
RYAN: There are a few cute moments, some funny. But c’mon… no.
— RATING —
